Carey’s Pro Debut
On April 19th 2007, the Canadiens’ 5th overall pick of the 2005 draft would make his AHL debut with the Hamilton Bulldogs.
Carey Price had just finished his final season with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, finishing with a 30-13-1 record with a 2.45 GAA and .917 save percentage. In his first game with the Bulldogs he would block all 34 shots sent his way and helped shutout the aptly named Rochester Americans 3-0. He would then backstop the Bulldogs in the playoffs and lead them to the Calder Cup and be named playoff MVP. In 22 playoff games he finished with a 15-6 record, 2.06 GAA and a sparkling .936 save percentage.
Price would play 10 games for the Bulldogs next season before being called up to Montreal and never going back down, except for that 1 rehab stint with the Laval Rocket in 2021.
Theodore’s Game 7 Heroics
Jose Theodore would also make history on this day. In Game 7 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the Canadiens would go for all the marbles against them Big Bad Bruins.
Richard Zednik, who had his best years of his career in Montreal, took care of the offence and scored two while Theodore was spectacular and saved all 32 of Boston’s shots, en route to a Game 7 victory and grabbing his first career postseason shutout. He would become only the 4th goaltender in NHL history to register a Game 7 shutout on the road.
Theodore would only register one more postseason shutout in his career, this time with the Florida Panthers in 2012, which would also be his final season in the NHL.